Heads and Tails
by Thunderbird013
Summary: Years before the events of RWBY, new teams develop and flourish within the walls of Beacon Academy. As N enjoys life as a huntsmen in training, new friendships will be formed, bonds will be tested, and treacherous pasts with opposing sides and beliefs will be unearthed. In a clash between truth and ideals, N must fight an uphill battle against criminals, racism, and daily life.
1. A New Beginning

"Well, I'm finally here!" N yelled out to the world as he practically leaped out of the recently landed Bullhead. He was just about to run off, but stopped dead in his tracks when he heard someone yelling from behind him.

"Hey! Your bag!" The exuberant boy skidded on his heels to a stop and quickly whipped his body back around towards the jet. His pale blue eyes were met with the elderly pilot yelling from the Bullhead's window. "Kid you forgot your bag!"

"O-Oh...right!" Embarrassed, N walked back over to grab his grey large grey suitcase from his seat during the flight. He grabbed it off of the custom red velvet seat, and began to wheel it across the cold, metal floor. With a quick tip of his cap to that kind man, he was off once again, eyes set on the illustrious Beacon Academy...though a bit slower this time.

Needless to say, they boy was excited, ecstatic even! He had been accepted into _the_ Beacon Academy! A school designed to teach students the ways to combat Grimm, fight crime, and help others. Oh how proud uncle would be right now! This was his chance at a new life, a chance to meet new friends, a chance to live as a normal boy.

He stopped walking for a moment to take a breath, and view the school in all of its grandeur. This would be his home for the next four years, and he would do his best to enjoy every second of it.

 _Wow_ , he thought to himself while walking across the path to the entrance. _This courtyard is absolutely stunning._ He looked around at the wide plains around the campus, and the mountains that loomed off in the distance, at the giant towers and buildings that sat before him, taunting him of the future. That is, until he noticed a small whirring sound in the background of his gazing.

Confused, he tilted his head around and found the source of the noise to be the dozens of incoming Airships, probably carrying other students. _Looks like private airlines still beats public_.

N brought his cap over his face to block out the any flying dust as the jets started landing one by one. As they landed, the calming sounds of nature that filled the atmosphere were gradually replaced by the annoying chatter of incoming students. It only took a few moments for their sheer numbers to block the landscape and flood the area.

In addition to being incredibly irritating, the gigantic crowd kept pushing, shoving, and hindering movement from all angles. It felt more like being stuck in a current instead of walking along a path. N was hopelessly getting dragged along until he spotted someone not too far away from him. "Hey, move it ya simps! Let me through!" Perfect. Someone impolite enough to clear traffic.

He was wearing what looked like a frayed blue jacket, and had a light blue bandana wrapped around his head. Those were really the only details that could be made out though, the view of his back wasn't that telling.

After staying in that student's shadow, the two eventually made it to a point in the courtyard where the horde were less tightly packed. N broke off from behind and started to weave his way through the others, dodging through the crowd.

While shuffling, a large gust of wind had passed over. Probably a dust malfunction, it was definitely far too powerful to be natural. N clung onto his hat as he was slightly pushed back by the burst, an action most of the people around him were mimicking. He stood his ground, standing firm, not relenting to the onslaught, until his clenched hand gave way to the great wind. His had flew right off of his head!

Surprised, N shot out the hand but tried to reach for the cap. Unfortunately, he overextended, and the wind ended up pushing him to the ground while he was off balance. Dang, that was his favorite hat, and there was no way he would let it just fly away! He promptly got up and gave chase, dashing through what little of the crowd remained. He was leaping over bags, plowing right through small groups, and even outright pushing one or two students out of the way.

He was so close, just barely a meter away from his hat. All he had to do was just reach...a little more...a little more... a little...more... _Ah dammit!_ Focused on his hat, N had unfortunately crashed into someone during his mad dash. With a giant clang off of the backpack, both people ended up flailing. From the ground, N watched as the hat was taken off into the distance. He slammed his fist onto the ground. "Dammit..."

"Gah! Excuse me?" exclaimed a rather irritated voice from behind him. N quickly turned, and saw someone else landed on the ground with him. The boy was just getting up now with a grimace on his face.

"Oh shoot! Sorry, sorry!" Scrambling back up on to his feet, N immediately rushed to get the man's aid.

This man seemed...refined to a casual observer. His sky blue hair was excellently styled, and the black coat he wore seemed pretty expensive. The purple and metal accents it had changed from a generic jacket into quite the sight to see. As he was helped up, he adjusted the red tie around his neck, and turned his annoyed blue eyes to the one who helped him up. "It's quite alright, but please, do watch where you're going in the future," he said with clenched teeth and a subtle snarl across his face.

The boy scoffed as he started to brush his sleeves off and walk away. N was about to sigh in defeat when he noticed a quiet _clink clink clink_ noise coming from that boys direction. When he looked back over, N saw it was the sound of metal rings hitting together as the boy snapped his fingers repeatedly. Surprisingly, his posture shot up as he turned back around to the place where he had fallen. Even more surprising was the fact that he started to speak in a much more friendly tone.

"By any chance, did you happen to catch that announcement over the airship. I was...slightly preoccupied when they made it."

"Oh, there was an announcement?" To be blunt, N was taken aback by the sudden display of kindness thrust in his direction. When he was actually expected some chiding, he apparently had earned conversation. Not one to miss out on an opportunity, N did his best to keep it going. "I guess I missed it too. What was it exactly?"

"Oh, what a shame..." The man brought up his hand and rubbed his chin. "Well it was just a set of directions for the school's orientation speech." He turned his head, as if he was about to walk away, but stopped. He turned back around with an awkward frown on his face. "You know...I'm quite sorry about my manner back there."

"Oh...well it was no problem I guess." Now N was really confused. The person that he himself had blindly crashed into just moments before was now the one that felt bad. "I mean I did crash into you and all...that..." He scratched the back of his head, clearly unsure of what to say.

"No, no. It was just an honest accident." The boy put his hands on his hips and shook his head. Mustering up the best smile he could, he extended a hand out. "Here, the name's Steven. Steven Stone."

"Call me N," he said with a smile that was a little too forced.

"N? As in the letter?" Steven asked. Nodding in response only added to Steven's confusion. "If you don't mind me asking, does it stand for something?"

...N pondered answering for a moment. Sure, not many people would recognize his true name, but this Stone fellow seemed to be a bit more entitled than your average Joe. After racking his brain for a color that would work, he finally came up with an answer. He could imagine the light bulb that would be appearing above his head right now. "It stands for Napier." Steven didn't seem to notice N's hesitation. "Napier's a bit inconvenient to say, so..."

"Understandable I suppose," Steven commented as he looked off into the distance.

"Well, I guess we should follow the crowd and hope we end up in the right place," He suggested as he scratched at his now hatless head.

Steven nodded in affirmation. "Good plan." With that, the two started walking with the gradually progressing herd of students.

* * *

"So, what's your weapon?"

"Hmm? Oh...um...my weapon?" The abrupt question had caught N off guard. He and Steven had been practically silent for the past few minutes, so when one of them had finally spoke, only surprise was the response.

"But of course!" Steven beamed back with a smile. "All of the other students are carrying theirs out in the open, or in a sheath. You're the only one that's not." He was right. Most of the people around them had been walking with their weapons fully exposed. Apart from Steven himself, N was the only one who didn't fit that description.

His plain, tan shorts weren't supplied with a sheathed sword of any kind, and the only thing he carried in his hands was... his bag... Which for some reason wasn't at his side anymore!

"Oh no!" He yelled frantically. "My weapons! They were in my bag!" He started waving his hands in the air and started looking around frantically. "I forgot to take my bag when I ran into you!"

Steven's eyes went up in surprise. "Well we should go back and get it then! Where did you leave it?

"Dang, it's all the way back by the airships! I forgot to grab it when I started chasing my hat." This was a big problem. N had just made his first friend and he was already becoming a burden. He supposed he could go back by himself, but then he would be blowing Steven off. After furrowing his brow in deep thought, N eventually came to a decision. "You go on ahead, I'll meet back up with you when I get my bag back!" He was already turning around by the time he finished speaking, but he barely took a few steps before he was interrupted.

"I don't think that will be necessary," the new voice said, followed by a brief chuckle. N turned to his side, and found a seemingly elderly man donned in dark green jacket. On his face, he wore some wire glasses and a warm smile. In one hand, he was holding a white cup, and in the other he held a grey suitcase. "I believe this is yours Mr. Na-"

"Napier, sir." N quickly interjected before the man had a chance to finish. Standing up straight, he reaffirmed his stance. "My name is Napier."

The man hesitated for a moment, and took notice of Steven's confusion. He smiled once again, and continued. "Yes, of course. Napier." He brought the bag he held forward, and presented it to N. "Again, I believe this belongs to you."

N snapped back to reality, and nearly stumbled for a moment. "O-Oh! Right yes thank you so much Headmaster Ozpin!" He hastily took the heavy bag away from the man and brought it to his side.

Now Steven nearly stumbled. "You're headmaster Ozpin?" As he spoke, he desperately tried to maintain his professional demeanor, but even he couldn't help but sound excited. "You're _the_ Headmaster Ozpin, ace huntsmen extraordinaire?" Thankfully, Steven managed to curb his giddy, childlike grin into an impressed smirk.

"Hah hah hah...yes. Though I wouldn't exactly call myself 'huntsmen extraordinaire', but I am the headmaster of this fine academy." He took a sip from his coffee cup. "You're lucky Napier. Had I not chosen to see how my new students were faring as they arrived, your bag might've been washed away with the crowd. I hope you'll take great care in keeping track of your belongings, hmm?" Even as he reprimanded the young student in front of him, Ozpin still kept himself as humble as possible.

"Oh yes of course Headmaster Ozpin yes without a doubt yes sir!" N was silently panicking. He was talking far too fast again. People had always said he had a habit of talking too fast when he got nervous, especially when publically speaking.

Much to his dismay, the headmaster only found humor in N's peril. He let out a small laugh. "It seems you'll get along just fine with professor Oobleck, especially with that hair of yours." He gestured towards the bright green hair that covered N's head with his mug before taking another sip. He sipped down the last drop, and looked towards the school. "Anyway, I suggest you two run along. I'll be preparing for my speech in just a moment," he suggested without facing the boys.

"Yes sir," N responded with a small smile and nod. He and Steven started walking down the stone path of the courtyard, leaving the headmaster behind them. As he watched the smile the man wore soon dissolved into a neutral frown. He started

"I was rather surprised when you decided to accept him Ozpin," a voice commented from behind. "This Natural fellow brings quite a lot of controversy wherever he goes, your just lucky none of the tabloids caught wind of his attendance yet."

The headmaster smiled. "The boy needs some time to enjoy life, Glynda." He watched as Steven and N jovially talked to one another while they walked. The grin he'd been sporting during their conversation faded, and was replaced by a grim scowl. "He's gone through so much in his life." Ozpin paused for a moment and exhaled. "He's so often been caught up with the wrong people...he deserves a chance to resolve this conflict within himself."

"Funny, I'd never expect you of all people to say that about someone." Glynda shot a rather annoyed look at Ozpin. Without missing a beat, she continued. "I know you of all people would recognize that his past is no matter to be trifled with...I just need to ask you again..." Ozpin eyed her from the side. "...what _is_ your purpose for accepting him?"

His scowl deepened as he adjusted his wire glasses. The atmosphere of dread soon consumed his body. "He can only maintain this facade for so long. Whether he realizes it or not, this joyful innocence will only be temporary. We'll need to be there to make sure he picks the right side when he finally dwindles."

Glynda folded her arms and took a defensive stance. "Is that for your benefit, or for his?"

Ozpin adopted an empty smirk "Glynda...I thought you trusted me," he let out with a small laugh.

"Will you stop acting so frivolous about this?" she asked, sounding more like an annoyed mother than honestly angry. "To an observer, this just seems like a power play; taking him under your wing, being so kind to him. It looks like you're simply buttering him up!"

"Glynda, Natural is in a fragile state right now. I'm not _buttering him up_ , I'm only making sure he feels comfortable."

"Why? You said it yourself that his state will only be temporary."

He didn't respond.

"Ozpin?"

"...I want him to enjoy this time while he has it. His past will catch up to him quicker than myself, you, or he can imagine it. He should savor this time while he has it."

Glynda stayed silent for a few moments, only taking the time to absorb his words. Would things collapse that easily? Natural had decided to abandon his past for the better of his future, and what better place for that than Beacon Academy?

"Oh Glynda, one more thing." Her thoughts were interrupted by the words like a knife.

"Y-Yes Ozpin?"

"Could you please do me a favor and bring this boy his bag?" Glynda looked down to see the grey bag still sitting at the headmaster's side.

"...Sure..."

* * *

 **So hello! This chapter is going to be a fair bit shorter than the rest, but I hope this idea will stick! I've been turning this idea around my head for a while, and I figured I'd actually right this while I think if new ways to progress the story in my other fic.**

 **Well, the next chapter should be out by September...hopefully...**

 **Also, I may need help naming one of the teams in the story. They're much harder to come up with when all of your characters already have names, so PM me if you'd like to help! As always, reviews and criticism would be highly appreciated!**


	2. Preparation

"Whoo Hoo! Ha ha!" N yelled out as he drove his toy train across the floor. His young hand pushed it along as he chuckled and giggled with glee. "Chugga chugga choo choo! Ha ha!" N held on to his hat with his free hand as he ran around the colorful, plastic tracks.

Despite his outward appearance, N was actually filled with anticipation on the inside. It was his 6th birthday after all, and he was expecting something big. Something as big as the amazing train set he had gotten the year before, or the basketball hoop gifted a year before that. He absolutely loved his Papa, and was expecting great things to come from him.

Suddenly, he heard a knock coming from his bedroom door. Stopping his lap around the room, N froze. In that split second before turning around, he was filled to the brim with joy and excitement. A giddy smile spread across his face as he slowly turned around to see the massive doors peel away. I their place stood an elderly man in a brown and purple cloak. "Natural, I have a little surprise for you..." the man said with a coy smile.

Natural's eyes briefly lit up with a giddy excitement before knitting his brows into a confused state. "A surprise, Papa?" The boy stood up, shaking the train with the quick movement. "What is it, what is it?!" he eagerly asked.

Papa brought a hand to his chin and chuckled. "Why Natural, I have brought you a friend to play with." He stepped to his side, revealing a small boy with red hair. "He can have fun with you while you play."

...A friend? A friend? Natural was ecstatic! He was practically shaking after the reveal of the best present he ever got! A friend! Natural had always yearned for a companion, someone to enjoy himself with, someone to play with, someone who would be a friend! He quickly ran up to Papa and gave him a great big around the bulky cloak, rubbing his face against it to dry the tears now forming from his eyes. "I-I love you Papa."

The man laughed as he patted Natural on the head. A few moments went by of Natural hugging his Papa, desperately wanting to show the affection he had for the old man. Eventually, he lifted his face up from the purple cloth and turned towards his new friend. The first thing that stuck out about him was his ears, or rather, the two sets of ears that filled the boy's head. On top of his head sat two pointy red ears, almost like those of a fox.

Still wearing his exuberant grin, Natural extended his hands towards the poor boy. He should always be polite, like his papa told him to be. "Hi, my name's Natural." The strange boy just looked at the hand with a worried gaze of apprehension. Then he looked up at Natural's face, and at the gleaming white teeth that shone through the smile.

Slowly, his mouth slid open. "M-My name is Zorua."

* * *

At that moment, N felt himself be shaken. With a jolt, he awoke from his dream, facing up towards Beacon's ceiling. Gripping his bearings, he found a certain light blue haired student nudging him from his slumber on the floor. "N, come on get up! Initiation starts in a few hours, and your sorely mistaken if you think I'm going to be late on my first day," Steven declared with his head held high and his hand outstretched.

With a yawn, N slowly sat up from his sleeping bag. "O-Oh, yeah...right..." Still half asleep, he accepted the hand offered to him and stumbled to his feet. He licked his dried lips, and made sure to grab his suitcase before following Steven, and many other students to change in the bathrooms.

The night before was relatively uneventful. After Ozpin's rather lackluster speech, the students had all slept on the floor, lacking their dorm assignments. Aside from a small fight between that barbaric pirate of a man who pushed through the crowd before and a red haired student with glasses, what had been anticipated as an eventful night was sadly underwhelming.

Arriving in the bathroom, N quickly changed out of his pajamas within the confines of one of the many stalls. Still slightly off putted by the empty feeling his head had, he patiently waited on a nearby bench for Steven to finish the same process. Surprisingly, N still had yet to see that boy's weapon at all. It must still be cramped away within the backpack he always seems to carry around.

"...What is taking him so long?" At this point, N had been waiting for at least fifteen minutes already. Sure, his outfit did look a little complicated, but it really shouldn't take this long. Figuring he had some time to kill, N opened the zipper of his suitcase and grabbed his two weapons held inside. He slid the two daggers out carefully, and held them up to check if either had any scratches. As he inspected them, he couldn't help but admire his handiwork. He smirked as the wide triangular blades shimmered in the light of the school. One was colored a deep black, with an orb of blue lightning dust connecting the blade to the handle wrapped in black leather. The other, had a brilliant white coat of paint, and a bright orange orb of burn dust instead.

He twirled the latter of the two within his hand, making mock motions of combat in the air as he did so. N was about to hit the button underneath the butt of the knife when he noticed something in the blade's reflection. There was the mirror image of a girl walking up to him. Raising his eyes from the broad cheek of his weapon he donned a friendly smile when the girl stopped her approach.

Upon looking up, he noticed the red hair fashioned into a short side ponytail with a light blue bow that looked somewhat like a flower. She had two long locks flowing down the sides of her face, and one curled design covering her forehead. The girl wore mostly light blue clothing, but her limited attire made N blush as soon as his eyes drifted below her exposed midriff and past her incredibly short shorts.

Quickly avoiding any unnecessary camping trips, N hastily bit his lip and made eye contact with the girl once again. "W-Well hello there," he stuttered out, not wanting to make the confrontation awkward.

"Hey. Mind if I sit here?" She asked

 _Oh, ok. That's all she wanted. No reason to get all hot and bothered by it._ "Of course. Please, take a seat." He scooted a bit to the side before gesturing to the side of the bench. The girl then sat down, admittedly a little closer than what N thought as acceptable. Slightly annoyed, he simply rolled his eyes and went back to checking his daggers. Glancing out of the side of his vision, he noticed the girl seemed quite interested in them as well. She was leaning beside his shoulder for a minute now, and was staring intently.

Still trying to be polite, N did his best to ignore the girl. Despite his esteemed patience, she was being slightly annoying now. Out of the corner of his eye, he snuck a small peek at her. What caught his attention though, was the other girl in yellow behind her watching the both of them. She held a hand up to her mouth, almost as if she was suppressing a laugh.

Just as he was about to address her, the girl on the bench next to N finally spoke. "Those are some cool weapons there."

"Oh, thank you," he said with courtesy that was a little too forced. If N was correct, this really shouldn't be too surprising. What was a bit surprising though, was the change in demeanor the girl showed. Before she seemed almost bouncing with charisma and charm. Now, she seemed to have calmed down, and had a more reserved posture. She was becoming more invested in this little chat than N would've given her credit for.

"I recognize those colors from a legend I heard once," the girl said with some mild curiosity. "Do you know about it?" N didn't answer her question. In fact, he ignored it entirely.

He had a disappointed smile on his face as he grabbed his black leather sheaths from his bag. "By any chance, did that girl over there dare you to come over here?" He asked without even looking up.

The girl in blue recoiled back in surprise before stammering out what could only barely be considered a response. "O-Oh! Well...I mean...umm" She scratched the back of her head, panic and nervousness spreading across her face.

"Well I can't say I'm surprised..." With that, he placed the two sheaths beside his hips on his belt and stood up. Just that moment, Steven finally came out of the bathroom, fully changed. "Now, if you'll excuse me," he said toned with some slight venom. "I believe I should be heading to the cliff for initiation. Thank you for wasting my time." He added a sarcastic bow before he left and walked into the crowd, following his friend.

He could barely hear the girl call out to them over the massive clamor the horde of students made, but he couldn't really make out what she said. She kept yelling after him, but to no avail. When the girl finally realized N wouldn't be responding, she stopped, sulking in disappointment. Quietly, she repeated what she had been shouting to herself in defeat. "It wasn't like that..."

* * *

"Who was she?" Steven asked as N shut the door of his locker. Immediately after the two started heading towards the cliff, Steven started asking N for answers about the girl. "Was she an old friend of yours?"

N sighed. Being the on the receiving end of such an immature prank wasn't sitting well with him. "No, nothing like that." He didn't continue, prompting further digging from Steven. He adjusted the strap of his backpack before continuing.

"Ok then, so who was she?"

"She just came by asking about my weapons." N decided to lie. He would've preferred not even talking about the subject to begin with, so ending it quickly was his best option. "I didn't even know her name," he curtly stated while doing his best to avoid getting annoyed.

Steven wasn't entirely convinced. He furrowed his "Are you sure that's it? You've just seemed a little ornery after I finished changing. I do trust she wasn't harassing you, right?" Steven folded his hands behind his back as he strolled beside N, nearly walking sideways to face him. N was simply facing forward, barley even making eye contact.

However, he did crack a smile after hearing Steven's comment. How real it was had been left up for debate though. "No, no. You needn't worry about it. I guess I'm just a little nervous is all." He held the door open behind him as the two exited the academy's doors and into the courtyard.

"I suppose that's understandable. I have heard some rather odd rumors about initiation."

" 'Odd rumors'? What are you talking about?" N brought his hand up to his chin and turned his head to face his friend.

Steven smiled and brought his hands behind his head. "I've overheard some of the upper classmen speaking of the process before you woke up. If they're to be believed, we are supposed to be jumping off from the cliff down into the Emerald Forest."

N cocked his head as he stepped off of the courtyard's concrete and onto the grass. "So initiation takes place within the Emerald Forest." N had heard that the place had some ancient ruins hidden within it. News channels had stated that archeological digs would likely had taken place countless times had the Grimm numbers not been so high. The place was absolutely teeming with Beowulfs, Ursai, Nevermore, and even the occasional Deathstalker. "I've heard about it before. It's said to have high a Grimm population. That's what probably makes it an ideal place for training."

"Yes. I think initiation is where we get our team assignments as well."

"Oh really?" Certainly, N had known that huntsmen and huntresses formed teams during their schoolings. He had some encounters with a few before he had left with Uncle. Their teamwork and skill was nothing like he had ever seen. He could still remember the grunts had fared against one team in particular. That one's axe had cut through their numbers like butter. "In that case, I'll be looking forward to it. I hope we make it onto the same team."

"Yeah, too.

* * *

"During your initiation, you will be flung off of this cliff and into the forest," Ozpin deadpanned to the mob of first years assembled in front of him.

For the first time in many years, N was truly at a loss for words. _What!? Flung off of the cliff!?_ He had assumed that the students would just be climbing down the cliff. Maybe on a stairway, or path, but not flying through the air!

"Additionally, while in the Emerald Forest, you will be meeting your partner for the next four years of your life."

This statement similarly stunned N, but to a much less drastic degree. _Woah, 'next four years'. That's a quite a big deal. At least I'll be able to partner up with Steven._

Headmaster Ozpin took a quick sip from his coffee mug. "Your partner will be the first person you make eye-contact with during your initiation."

... _Well f*ck._ N usually prided himself to be more mature than the average 17-year old, and was able to handle situations with more scrutiny, and with a level head...but this was just ridiculous! The first person you make eye-contact with! How was he supposed to make wise choices when it was based on pure luck alone!? Already, panic was starting to sink in while he started to think of almost every single worst case scenario.

N was so startled that he almost missed Ozpin's next announcement. Blinking himself back to reality, he listened intently. "With your partner, you will be tasked with journeying to the abandoned ruins that were built in this forest." The headmaster took his free hand to take out the scroll he had in his pocket, and pushed a few buttons on the tablet. "You will have a map to the locations sent to your scrolls," he explained as he displayed the map that was shown of his own screen.

 _Ok, not so bad. We will have some sense of direction._ N felt someone tap him in the shoulder. He turned around to see Steven, still wearing that bulky backpack of his.

"I'll see you there, alright?" Stone said with a slightly cocky grin.

N replied with a nod before turning back to the headmaster. "Once you and your partner reach the ruins, there will be a relic there for you to collect. This relic will determine you team placement." Ozpin gestured to the metal pads behind him with his mug. "Now, ladies and gentlemen, I suggest you take your places."

In less than a minute, all of the students were positioned on their very own springboard. As N looked around, he could see all of them readying their weapons and taking defensive stances. Doing the same, he crossed his arms and unsheathed the two blades at his hips, twirling them before they settled into his grip with his thumb over the butt of the blade. Using his thumbs, he pushed the concealed buttons the daggers shared, and the mechanisms within them sprung to life.

The blades divided into six segmented pieces, each piece detaching from the one above and below it. As the blades divided, they revealed the plastic frame that held them all together. With a quick snap, the frame extended and bent in many places, turning each weapon into a curved short sword. The orb of dust in each hilt was now fully exposed, and sent waves of fire and electricity up the sword and under the segmented blades.

A large springing noise filled the cliff, and the first student was sent hurling off into the distance. N turned to Steven, and both shared a confident stare.

The next student flew, their figure turning into a small black speck as they soared further and further away before falling through the tree line. After a dozen or so students flew, it was N's turn. He watched as the student before him sailed off into the distance. With one final breath, the boy followed, spinning through the air in a fantastic display of blue and red, with Steven coming close behind.

Eventually, all of the students were deep within the forest, and the field was barren with the exception of the lone headmaster. He stared into the distance, eyeing the last student before they fell under the sea of green. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. His head hung low as he rested both hands on the cane in front of him. He mumbled something to himself. "They will be ready..."

His eyes opened as he heard footsteps on the soft grass behind him. He didn't even move as Glynda stepped beside him, arms crossed. "This will certainly be an interesting year for Beacon, won't it sir?"

"Yes, I couldn't agree more." Ozpin smiled, but his tone did nothing to suggest he was happy in anyway. "It will be very interesting for the students too. I wonder how they'll fare during initiation."

"I'm sure most of them will be fine. While not low, the Grimm levels haven't been unbearable lately." She took out her scroll and began to monitor the progress of the many huntsmen in training that now ran about the forest. "Ozpin, what did you chose for relics this year?"

The man chuckled. "Why Glynda, you know I can't tell you. That would spoil the fun of it."

* * *

 **So hello! I'm glad to see that this story is getting a small following. I'm really sorry for the long time since the last update. Vacation is so annoying, am I right? Well that, and I originally had Iris written into the chapter, but you all saw how that dilemma ended. Honestly, I would put off writing this just because I had absolutely no idea how Iris could fit into this. I'm honestly a little disappointed I took her out because I had her weapon planned and everything.**

 **Anyway, I'll be uploading one more chapter to this before I start putting more work elsewhere, and I'm hoping it'll be a long one with lots of action. Initiation is gonna be a ton of fun to write! Without a doubt, I WILL get the chapter out before September. Mark my words!**

 **As always, reviews and criticism will be highly appreciated!**


	3. Initiation

Natural and Zorua had been running around the bedroom for several minutes now. They were laughing and smiling as the waved and flapped their arms through the air, and chasing each other as they jumped over chairs and toys. Natural looked back to see his new friend behind him, both sharing the look of pure giddy and joy they held in their eyes. This was the best day ever! Not only did Natural get to meet someone new, but he was able to play with him for as long as he wanted

With his head in the clouds, the birthday boy caught his foot on the train tracks that were scattered throughout the room. He let out a loud yell as he fell onto the wood floor. Too close behind, Zorua crashed right into him, and the two lay sprawled out beside each other. They locked eyes for a moment. Neither one knew exactly how to react. That is, until Zorua's fox ears drooped. Upon seeing this, Natural burst out laughing. For some reason that even he didn't know, he found it hilarious! He was hunching over on his side and holding his gut as he kept laughing.

Out of the pure sight, Zorua began to crack a smile. He sat up, fully enjoying the sight of the boy shaking on the floor in front of him. He covered his mouth, and bursted out into a fit of laughs himself! He fell back to the floor, barely able to breathe in between each monstrous chuckle. The two kept laughing and laughing, almost to the point of tears.

Their laughter filled the whole hallway. Anyone in it at the time would surely be distracted or even annoyed by the constant noise, but the one exception would be the soul person in the hall at that moment. For the cloaked man, the children's enjoyment was music to his ears. He let out a maniacal smirk of his own as he stepped back from the barely opened door. As of right now, everything was going according to plan.

The man closed the door, and turned to face the blonde haired man next to him. He brought one wrinkled hand out from within the cloak, and held it out for the other man to shake. "Everything is working just like you said," he commented with a faint grin.

The other man's expression didn't change. He didn't even raise one hand from his side to shake. "Our agreement holds firm?" he said, imposing himself over the old man.

"Plasma Incorporated will be partnered with the White Fang by the end of the year," the old man said while bringing his hand back. "Our facilities and staff will be at your disposal, and the child is promoted when he becomes of age." He took his cane from within his cloak and slammed its tip hard on the ground. "And I expect you to hold your end of the bargain."

"Very well then." The blonde man turned away, but froze after taking a few steps. He took a deep breath before turning back around. "Thank you Ghetsis. The White fang has been seeing a lack in progress over the last few years." He stopped for a moment, deliberating his words. "...I hope this partnership will be beneficial for both of us," he quickly managed to say before turning back around.

Ghetsis merely smiled at the man's ignorance.

* * *

Steven spread his arms and legs out as he soared over the Emerald forest. He wanted to cover as much ground as possible before falling under the tree line. He watched as students all around him dove down into the ground and fantastic displays of energy and bullets, while some others barely made a noise as they slid down a tree with precision.

He felt the wind on his face as he flew, and felt all of his clothes frantically shake. Closing his eyes, he gripped onto the cord from the side of his backpack that was shaking just as much. He took a deep breath. This would be the day where the world finally meets Steven Stone, the huntsmen!

He yanked on the cord as hard as he could, and listened to the many joints and metal gears turning behind him as he started descending. They clanked, rattled, sprang, locked, and finally...absolute quiet. That was his cue.

Steven brought his arms to his chest and held them there before thrusting them back out. When they did, he could hear the cloth of the bag rip and tear as his was ripped apart by every corner and seal. He left it slowly drifting down while four massive mechanical arms extended out from their concealed state. This was his weapon: _Metagross_. Their metallic blue color shone brightly in the sky, their many ridges and bumps reflecting as much light as possible from the sun above them.

The boy shielded his face, and the robotic ones mimicked his movement. They formed a protective covering as the boy crashed wildly through the trees. Right before he hit the ground, the robotic arms extended out, landing on the ground in the same fashion a spider would. The four steel spiked that protruded off of the bottom of each arm dug into the ground, suspending their wielder above it while he lay face down in the air. The earth shook when they punched the ground, and a small crater formed around the crash site. Any rocks or trees in the immediate area shattered instantly due to the sheer force the impact.

The only problem with such a grand entrance is that it isn't exactly subtle...

Already, a few Grimm were surrounding Steven's position. Glancing around, he counted three beowolves: one in front, two behind. He shouldn't even break a sweat.

The one in front let loose a great roar, and quickly charged forward. Steven did the same, full of confidence. The two kept rushing at each other until they were about to collide. The beowolf reared its claws back into the air, but Steven spun to the right side and sent it flying with a horizontal slam with two of the arms.

Without losing momentum, he turned and slid across the open dirt. He skidded to a halt, sending a cloud of dust and dirt from behind him. He took a deep step forward, and bashed _Metagross's_ arms on the ground launch himself high into the air. Diving towards the second Grimm, he pulled his right fist back for a punch. When he landed, the monster was reduced to a flattened pile of black fur underneath 137.5 pounds of steel.

He immediately jumped from that position, and sent himself flying. He flew right beside the Grimm, and kicked it before landing firmly on the ground. Using an arm for support, he spun around and delivered a flurry of punches from all four arms. Each punch hit with deadly power, relentlessly attacking the beast from all angles. Uppercuts, jabs, hooks, any kind of punch was being flung at by for massive arms with lightning speed. With a cocky smirk, Steven finished the Grimm off with a devastating uppercut from the two right arms. Planting the left ones on the ground, jumped off of the ground and sent the final beowulf skyward with a powerful strike.

He smiled as he watched it soar over the tree line and off into the distance. Content with his work, he turned around, dusted himself off and then-sighed in defeat. _Of all of the people to be the first one to see..._

* * *

Far away, that flying beowolf served as quite the surprise of another student. She was jumping rapidly from rock to rock, atop a small mountain that pierced through the top of the forest. Her grey, tattered cape was fluttering in the wind as she jumped, traveling at inhuman speeds.

She was leaping and jumping when she started to hear a feint sound in the back of her mind. She slowed down at the next rock, and jumped on to the ground just above a cliff on the mountainside. Curious, she peered out over the horizon, eyes peeled and looking for any sight of abnormal movement. With her hand shading the sun away from her eyes, she finally saw it. It was the scream of a beowolf as it was being hurled right towards her!

Her eyes widened with surprise. Stepping back, she quickly grabbed the handle from underneath her cape. When she pulled, it unveiled a coiled mess of red metal and machinery with the small handle sticking out from the side. Holding it, the girl made a flicking motion, and the clunky circle rolled out into a very long, curved sword made of dozens of connected pieces. Its length was well over the girls small stature, and its width was so large, most strikes would do little more than smack an opponent out of the way.

However, the girl did just that. She spun, slamming the broad blade into the black ball of claws and fur. Of course she deflected it, and it landed in a contorted heap beside her.

The girl contracted her blade, and placed underneath her cape once again. She checked around her, making sure that no other Grimm were around. She did spot a few small nevermores in the distance, but they probably wouldn't be much of a problem. Taking off at a jog, she rounded a corner of the mountain. When she turned, she was faced with another surprise.

She stood face to face with a red haired boy. Stunned, the two simply stared at each other for a few seconds. The girl turned her head away from the boy in front of her. When she turned back, she had a smile across her face a shine to her eye. She shot him a grin. "Well, I guess we're partners," she said with an animated enthusiasm.

The boy adjusted the glasses on his face. "It appears that is so." His face remained neutral, pretty much devoid of any emotion.

Her smile faltered upon seeing his reaction. "Well, um...My name's Zinnia," she forced out while doing the same for a very awkward smile. "What's yours?"

"...Maxie," he replied, bringing the two back to a state of silence.

Zinnia racked her brain, desperately trying to find some way to break the ice. When she was fantasizing about what her partner for the next four years would be, she was picturing someone as adventurous and upbeat as herself, someone who she could be on the same wavelength with. Not...a walking statue...

"Well...ah...I think I saw the ruins over there." Zinnia pointed over the cliff, where she could see tall stone pillars and buildings. "If we start making our way over, we should make it over there in a few a half hour. Right?"

"...Yes quite. We shall start moving in that direction now." Without even looking in her direction, Maxie placed his hands behind his back and started walking past her. He slid down the side of the cliff, leaving the poor girl to catch up.

This was probably the worst case scenario for her. She was partnered up with some stuck up, antisocial prick who wouldn't even give her the time of day if she asked for it. She looked over the edge of the cliff, and saw that Maxie was already walking away from its base. He was already a few meters away, and didn't even look back. Zinnia, heaved out a depressed sigh before jumping down the cliff herself.

* * *

Right after N landed within the forest he heard quite the massive brawl going on. He began to run through the Emerald Forest, dodging tree after tree, when suddenly a beowolf flew right past him. He took cover behind a tree, and watched as the back beast collided with a large stone slab. It bounced off the rock and landed on the ground. It cried out in pain, and started prowling around when it got up. Its ears perked up, and the white head of the creature snapped in N's direction.

Taking notice of the student, it lowered its head and gave a low growl. N stepped back, and assumed a fighting stance. He rose the weapon in his right hand, the flaming white one, and slashed downward right in front of him. The strike sent a wave of flame at the beowolf, stunning it in place. Using his new opportunity, N dashed towards it with blue sparks flying from the curved blade in his left hand.

He slashed the black blade as he emerged from the grey smoke that filled the area, cutting a large gash across the beast's chest. N grunted as he thrust the sword into the beowolf's chest. "Take this!" he yelled as lightning danced across the creature's body, shocking and electrifying it. N pulled out his sword, panting slightly after the brief fight. "Well, that was a good warm up." He ran a hand through his green hair as both swords retracted back into their dagger forms. After sheathing them, made his way over to his original destination.

N forced his way through a set of bushes when he ran into a familiar face. "Ah Steven!" Boy was N happy to see Steven. Not only would his partner be someone decent, but it would be someone he already knew. Things were shaping up to be pretty good! "So, I guess we're partners then."

Steven was quick to respond. "Yes! Your my partner! So let's go! Now!" By the time N had any time to react to Steven's barrage of commands, he was already being pushed back to where he came by the boy.

N was so dazzled by the strange scene that it was only when the unknown voice called out to him that he snapped back to reality. "Hey! Wait! The Stone guy's my partner!" The voice was rough, powerful, and right now, full of anger. N felt the force of Steven pushing be removed from his back. He turned around, and was met with the sight of the boy being pulled back by a big, golden anchor. And the wielder of that anchor was...him of all people.

"Hey, you're that barbarian that was shoving his way through the crowd when we arrived!" N yelled out to the boy in blue that was now grabbing Steven by the back of his shirt.

"Yes I am. Name's Archie. What's it to you ya little shrimp?" The pirate of a man pointed his finger as if accusing someone. "Stone here is my partner! So get lost!" This pirate of a man pulled on his jacket, exposing more of his chest. He slung that big anchor he held over his shoulder.

While he was distracted, Steven took an opportunity to slide out from behind. He managed to get next to N, leaving Archie looking around like a numbskull. "Wah! Hey!"

Steven then put on a smirk, relaxed his shoulders, and wrapped on arm around his partner in a blue bandana. "Look, Archie. Let's not mince words." Even though he seemed collected, anyone could see the sweat beading on his forehead. N might've helped him, but this looked like it might be fun to watch. A little comic relief could make his day better.

"So, there are many other possibilities for partner options." With his arm around Archie's shoulder, Steven's other was busy making exaggerated hand motions. "Now, you could choose me, a particularly boring son of a business man." He took great care to emphasize the word 'boring'. "Or...we could forget you ever laid eyes on me. We walk our separate ways. You find another partner, and I go get the relic with my 'other partner'." He gestured towards N, who was now sitting on a rock with his legs crossed, casually sharpening his daggers.

He looked up from the rock with blatant content plastered upon his face. "I wouldn't exactly be opposed to the idea..."

"So Archie, what do you say hmm?"

The two started at each other until Archie finally broke the silence. "I say your little buddy over there can go suck a-"

"K, great!" Steven quickly interjected with very forced amiability. "Boy am I glad we made that deal buddy. So me and N over here are gonna go over here, and you can go...do...whatever." He flashed a quick thumbs up before dashing over to his friend on the rock. He clutched on to N's wrist and promptly started running away with him.

The two barely made it two the next tree before they were stopped dead in their tracks. Steven was just about to look back towards the pirate when he heard a loud thump in his path. He jumped at the noise and skidded to a halt while both his arms flailed wildly through the air.

N was just recoiling from getting hit in the face by his friend when he saw the boy in front of him. He was low to the ground with one hand out, almost as if he dropped from the sky. As he stood up slowly, both of the boys stared at him in amazement. Their mouths were held open. Once he was up straight, his glasses shone luminously in the light of the forest.

"Hey you two simps! Get back...here..." He rose his hand questioningly before motioning towards their sleek now arrival. "Whose the nerd?" He was still hunching over, catching his breath.

The strange boy locked his unwavering gaze on N and Steven. "You two may think that the instructions of the headmaster are things to be trifled with." His eyebrows furrowed in anger, his eyes were covered by the shine of his glasses. "I believe his word's were 'the first person you make eye-contact with'. You imbeciles may think that these rules were made to be broken, that they are merely authority exercising its power. However!" his voice rose to a yell. He was now shouting at the boys.

"I DISAGREE!"

"My name is Chrome, Colress Chrome. You..." the boy shoved a finger in N's direction. "...are my partner for the next four years."

N ran a hand through his hair and cocked his head into a quizzical gaze. "I beg your pardon?"

Colress strode forward. "You. My partner. Four years." He flung his towards his head. "Ring any bells?" he interrogated arrogantly. N responded with an empty gaze "N, I believe it was," he rattled of while pacing back and forth. "You are the first one I have made eye-contact with today and per the rules of this initiation that makes you my partner for the four years if my life that I am to be present at this academy, so!" He stopped suddenly and turned towards the three others, making them all flinch. "I believe you should come with me, N."

"Ah, well," N glanced over to Steven with some slight disappointment in his eyes. "Steven, I'll see you around." He shook the boys hand, but Steven still had an anxious expression on his face.

"Wait wait wait! N, you can't just leave me with him!" He threw his hands towards Archie.

"Hey! I'm right here ya scamp!"

Steven waved his hand flippantly. "Yeah yeah sharkboy. Anyway, come on N please! Please!" His dramatic change in demeanor shocked the group.

Colress turned his head towards the sky, almost as if he was thinking of something. Placing a content smile over his face he clapped his hands. "Well Mr. Stone, I have a temporary solution to this problem." He folded his hands behind his back. "Why don't we all venture together. If we all collect the correct relics, we shall end up on the same team, yes? So all we have to do is go together and earn spots on the same team."

His rapid talks stunned the whole group. Steven himself just started twiddling his thumbs, and clicked his metal rings together. "Well, at least I won't be the only one that has to deal with this barbarian."

Despite Archie's brief protests, Colress clapped his hands together. He quickly shut the pirate up before he would become a nuisance. "Ah, brilliant! I suggest we be off then!" With that, he trotted off through the forest, leaving the other three behind. It wasn't until the eccentric boy heard silence instead of footsteps that he turned around. He turned on his heels in an exaggerated spinning motion, his shaking his equally eccentric blue hair spiral in the motion. "Well, I hope you three will be joining me soon!"

* * *

"And that's the final team formed," Professor Glynda Goodwitch proclaimed as she looked up from her scroll. The tablet showed the image of Colress talking with N, along with some basic diagnostics off to the side. "And it seems like they've formed some kind of alliance with Archie Aquas and Steven Stone. I wonder of that will hold firm." She and Ozpin were now sitting in the headmaster's office, spectating the affairs of . Just making sure none hit seriously injured, checking the area for any Grimm overpopulation, things like that.

"Well, the student teams are always interesting," Ozpin commented after placing his mug down on his glass desk. He took a seat, placing his scroll on the desk so its information would be displayed on the computer. As it flashed across the holographic screen, he folded his arms and let out an angered sigh. 'Colress Chrome' it read. Colress Chrome...

He stared at the screen, his aged gaze shooting daggers at the boy's profile. Such an inconspicuous thing to be concerned about. It seemed like just another student attending his academy, one would presume there would be nothing out of the ordinary. In fact, Ozpin himself was still hesitant to press on the situation. There was just something...off about this boy. He stared at it, and shifted his hands. " _Colress Chrome,"_ he muttered to himself under his breath.

"Is something wrong sir?" Ozpin flinched as he was snapped back into reality.

"Yes, of course Glynda. I was merely thinking about the teams thus far...I'm fine" The man grabbed his cane as he pushed himself out of the chair. He pushed himself away from the desk, sliding his scroll into his pocket with the other hand. Glynda watched in dismay as the headmaster walked pass her.

"Sir?"

"I'm going to observe from the cliff. Alert me if anything goes amiss," he instructed as he activated the button on the elevator. He stepped in as it opened and turned around. He stared at Glynda as he rested his hand on the cane. "And Glynda..." He pushed his wire glasses closer to his eyes. "...Please be wary of the team that just formed." His voice, full of dread, ordered as the two doors slid in front of him, shutting him off from the outside world.

* * *

 **Hey everyone! First off, I'm really sorry I missed the date I set for myself. I wasn't able to get to my computer for a while, so I couldn't really upload my story. Again, sorry! Secondly, I'll be uploading one more chapter before I transition into monthly uploads. For this story, I'll upload at the beginning of the month. This just doesn't feel fair to end it on a cliffhanger like this! Finally, I feel like I didn't really hit the standards I set for myself when I wrote the last chapter. I've just been swamped with tons of work before school starts, so I haven't had a lot of time to write.**

 **Anyway, a review and criticism would be highly appreciated, that was my first fight scene after all. I'd really like some help with that specifically. Was it too rushed, was there not enough detail, was there too much detail, just things like that. I can't really become a better writer if I don't know what I'm doing wrong, right? Have a great day!**


	4. It's Not Very Effective

"Well, I hope you three will be joining me soon!" the boy in the lab coat yelled as Skyla took cover behind a tree. She sulked in disappointment as her desired partner hiked away with the other three students.

She cautiously poked her head back out, watching as they trotted on. Ever since she saw him, Skyla had wanted to partner up with that green haired boy...and no, despite Elesa's constant teasing it wasn't because of some immature crush. He merely interested her. The second he took those daggers out of his bag Skyla recognized their origin. Their clear color scheme was clearly referencing ancient Vacuan myth, and that interested her.

One of the biggest reasons Skyla left for Beacon was a chance to start over, to start a life with new friends. Elesa was great and all, and she would surely still be friends, Skyla simply yearned for something else.

That boy with the green hair seemed like a great candidate to start. If his weapons were anything to go by, he came from Skyla's home Kingdom of Vacuo. He seemed nice. Maybe a little quiet, but it would give a nice change of pace from her other usually energetic friends. Aside from their shaky introduction promoted by a dare, that boy seemed like he would be a good friend.

However, many of these expectations were shattered when Colress leaped right out in front of him. He stole a golden opportunity that was right within her grasp. Sadly, she eyed the group as they walked away.

Disappointed, she waited for a few moments in the forest. Standing there, she briefly toyed with the sky-blue gauntlets on her forearm. She scratched under a piece that protruded up past her elbow, content to only wait for time to pass. Not long after the boys left, Skyla heard the grass rustling behind her. She stood still, perfectly still. She stilted her head down, dutifully listening for any additional noise.

She heard it again. Footsteps in the grass. Was it a Grimm? A beowolf? An ursa maybe? In a swift motion, she flicked her arms downward, activating her weapon. Within a second, eight sky blue blades were now running along the sides of her arms. They were fashioned in a way that made them look almost like wings. The shortest blade was resting almost entirely on her arm up to her shoulder, where the longest was suspended nearly half a meter to either side of her head.

Her weapon now exposed and ready for combat, Skyla surveyed the area again. As she swiveled her head from side to side, she started walking at a slow, careful pace. That was when she heard the noise again, in the trees. She quickly turned to face it with her arms outstretched, and unleashed a massive barrage of bullets from her wings. The sound of unrelenting gun shots flew, as the nearby tree was torn to shreds. After a mere moment, the branches were completely eradicated, and the scent of smoke and burnt wood filled the air.

The blades retracted, briefly sliding in and folding against Skyla's arm. An audible click sounded off as the mechanisms within her gauntlets reloaded the small machine guns located at the base of each blade. Determination across her face, extended her wings. She licked her lips as she stared at the smoldering hole that opened the bare forest ground to the sky.

Moments later, she heard a large thump hit the ground. Her eyes widened as Skyla spun around and rose her arms to unleash another hail of bullets. However, she never fired. She stared, eyeing up the target that now faced her. Instead of finding some hideous Grimm, Skyla instead came face to face with another student, a boy to be exact.

From behind the view her gauntlets, her eyes were immediately directed towards the orange hair that flowed out of the back of his head like a fire. Skyla's eyes then drifted down to his chest, which seemed quite muscled underneath that pale yellow tunic of his. His jaw line was set into a sturdy smile while looking at the girl that was pointing at least half a dozen guns at him.

Skyla's glare continued to stare daggers into the boy from behind her extended wings. She watched as one of his hands rose to his forehead, into a mock salute. His grin stretched even further as he puffed his chest out. In a hearty voice, he finally spoke. "Hello. My name is Alder," he said jovially.

She stared for a moment, before eventually deciding that she should probably stop aiming her one girl firing squad at a fellow student. Skyla quickly retracted her wings to her forearms, sat back into a relaxed stance, and rested her hands on her hims. "My name is Skyla," she said with a bright expression while bouncing forward.

* * *

"Maxie, are you sure we're going the right way?" Zinnia asked Maxie's back.

"Of course we are, you ignoramus," he bluntly responded without missing a step. "Why wouldn't we be going the right way?" he asked over his shoulder.

Most people would be offended by the Maxie's lack of courtesy, but Zinnia was actually relieved. His slight turn of the head was a good indicator that he still had a face. "Gee, I don't know..." Zinnia rolled her eyes and crossed her arms as she stopped walking. "... _maybe,_ because we've been walking for almost half an hour and haven't found anything yet." Maxie still kept walking, the only beat out if his strict rhythm him being the occasional step over a rock.

"Preposterous, my sense if direction is second to none," he called out nonchalantly with his hands folded behind his back.

Zinnia merely watched in disbelief as that stick in the mud kept trudging along, being such a snobby little prick. The way he acted, Zinnia might as well have not even been there. The least he could do was at least try to make conversation! Maybe about weapons, that's a pretty casual ice breaker question. Most new students talk about their weapons to their new classmates, right? _Yeah, I'll talk to him about that!_ Content with her new plan, Zinnia started jumping back over to him.

"So...Maxie, that's a neat weapon you have there," she commented after catching back up to him. From the sides of his glasses, she could see him raise an eyebrow in her direction...before promptly putting it down.

"Yes, it is. And I'm sure it's much more refined than that heap of scrap metal you have taped together behind your back."

"...!"

Zinnia froze in her tracks. Her foot stopped so suddenly that a small plume of dust came out from under it. Her mouth flew open, and her eyes shot up in a mixture of surprise and anger. In one instant, Zinnia's eyes were horrified by such a comment.

However, their crimson hue darkened with anger in the next.

Did he really just do that? Did that stuck up, snobby, inconsiderate prick, really just blatantly insult someone's weapon like that. Something that had countless hours of toiling and hardship built into it, something that harbors hours upon hours of treasured memories, something that is a very extension of one's own being. Did he really just call her weapon a 'heap of scrap metal'?

That was the last straw. He'd been ignoring her and pissing her off for nearly an hour now, and she would be taking no more.

Out of anger, Zinnia's hand slowly crept around the handle at her side. Her knuckles went white, her muscles flexed, and her teeth clenched. In a swift motion, her weapon uncurled into its sword form, and was pointed right at Maxie. The boy turned his head slowly, having heard the mechanisms behind him. When he saw what was pointing at him, his brow flew up in panic. "Zinnia...what are you doing...?"

"I probably should've done this a long time ago," she taunted with a smirk. She flicked a switch with her finger, and it looked like half of the sword almost broke off. The top half had recoiled, and was now resting underneath the other piece. What lay in its place, was one of the biggest gun barrels that anyone had even seen at Beacon. It was nearly half a foot in diameter, and over that in length. Its metallic shaft began to glow with a deep, violet hue.

Maxie's hands flung wildly, and one of them smacked his glasses. Their crooked frame rested over wide eyes that were looking at the maniacal grin of a very pissed off girl. "W-Wait! Let's talk about this! Zinnia!" He yelled her name as the shaft grew brighter. "Zinnia!" He started shaking wildly as he stumbled backwards. "Zinniaaaaaaaa!" He barely started to flee as he became engulfed in a bright purple plasma. Zinnia gripped her cannon with both hands as her partner was launched. Her silhouette cast an eerie shadow against the forest background as the rest was filled with a pale, pink light.

As the light died down, and Maxie's body flailed through the trees, the slightly ruthless girl enjoyed her minimal sadistic pleasure. She cocked her head to the side, contemplating whether she should indulge in such matters more often, before she heard the pained grunt of her partner. Finally realizing Maxie was little more than a disheveled heap past the trees, Zinnia hastily trotted over.

Slightly disappointingly, Maxie only appeared to be slightly seriously injured when Zinnia found him resting on one arm. Surprisingly, he'd flew past most the forest, and had ended up lying beneath a rather impressive cliff. Convinced this new discovery do be more important, the caped girl walked up to the cliff's edge. From her position, she could barely make out a stone bridge that connected the intimidating edge to another mountain further on. Around it were several other stone structures, most varying from grand to magnificent wonders of architecture.

"Hey, Maxie! I think we found the ruins!" Zinnia spared a glance at the boy before quickly remembering that he was recently been launched a few dozen meters through thick foliage.

Upon this sudden realization, the red clad boy pushed up on to his knees. Pulling a new pair of glasses from his pocket to replace the ones that now lay shattered beneath him, he looked up to where his partner was now pointing. After pushing the thick frame up the bridge of his nose, he actually smiled.

"…H-Ha…see? T-Told you." Just as he finished barely sputtering out the words, Maxie aptly fell flat on his back once again. "S-Second to none…" His declaration was much less grand when the confident finger he pointed skyward was accompanied such a weathered voice…

In Zinnia's eyes, it was a complete success. Not only had they found the ruins, but she'd also gotten to blast the snot nosed idiot through the forest! Oh, yeah. He smiled too. That was a plus.

"Well buddy, you know what that means, right?" Zinnia asked with a more than excited grin on her face.

The boy tilted his head up. "…No you ignoramus, I don't," Maxie quickly retorted with the same dulled speech. "Would you care to actually tell me?"

Zinnia let out a chuckle. "We have to find a way up there."

"Ah, quite true." Maxie slowly stood up, dusting his once pristine clothes off. "And please, don't take my inaction as a sign of forgiveness for your little outburst there." He fixed his cuffs with a swift flick of the wrist. "I'm merely mildly satisfied that we still happened…to...find…the…Zinnia, why are you standing so close to me?" He'd been so distracted with his attire that he'd missed the volatile girl's approach. They were now standing barely a breath apart, something that was less than encouraging given their last interaction.

Zinnia looked him dead in the eye. "We have to find it my way…" she commented deviously. Maxie barely had anytime to question her before she grabbed him by the collar. A forked tongue slithered from her mouth as her eyes glowed a mischievous gleam.

Within a second, the two were off the ground. Zinnia was leaping up the side of the cliff, dragging a wailing Maxie behind her. The girl was gracefully leaping from rock to rock, gripping the poor Maxie by his shirt the whole time. By the time the boy was capable of screaming they were already stories up.

Unfortunately, there was still something keeping a close eye on them. The ghastly black figure watched from the opposite mountain, cowling behind a sturdy trunk. With a slight twist of its body, it started hovering down the mountain's side, and towards the pair.

* * *

"Ugh! How much longer!?" Archie was getting very tired and very bored, neither of which were very good in his eyes. For the past hour or so, he and his little group of students had been trekking though the only part of the forest that seemed to be devoid of anything interesting other than a tree that was a slightly darker shade of brown than the last.

"It would go much faster if you would quit dawdling," Colress yelled from the front of the group. For the whole time, he'd been maintaining a pretty brisk pace, followed by N and Steven, which left Archie lagging in the back.

The boy was dragging his anchor behind him, creating a deep trail through any dirt they passed. The two in the middle were casually talking at a volume that the other two couldn't really hear. Colress, on the other hand, was far ahead, the only thing on his mind being progress and efficiency. Archie really hated that.

He was about to complain again, but he noticed something just as he opened his mouth. He cocked his head, and tried to focus on what exactly it was. What was it? "H-Hey guys…hold up a sec." He stopped for a moment, and rose his anchor into a more defensive stance.

"Please," Colress yelled from the front. "What could you possibly need now!?" Quite perturbed, the boy finally turned around. He crossed his arms and furrowed his brow towards. Steven hadn't even noticed Colress's change of pace, and proceeded to walk straight into the boy whilst talking to N.

He jumped back slightly upon walking into the white lab coat before being abruptly pushed aside by its sleeve. The boy in said coat was face to face with the grizzled pirate within a few long strides, and gave the boy a cold stare in the eye. Colress's eyes squinted as his brows furrowed into an analytic yet frustrated gaze.

The two stayed locked, neither shifting their gaze from the other. At first, Archie only seemed slightly annoyed at the other boy's act, but his grimace and gritted teeth soon spoke otherwise. Although he was slightly shorter, Archie showed no sign of wavering underneath Colress's stature, which was only magnified by his impressive hair style.

The tension could be cut with a knife, both students practically growling with scorn.

N, who had been silent for most of the walk, finally chose to intervene. He put a hand between the two, and shot a harsh glare towards shimmering glasses. "I think that's enough, Colress." His voice was even, his face was expressionless, and his eyebrows were ever so slightly angled. The same mask he was forced to don numerous times before. A gaze that had proven time and time again to be effective.

Colress pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose, finally draining them of their glare. He turned away with folded arms. "Hmph, very well then." He walked back to the front of the group, shoving Steven aside with his forceful walk. "Let us continue," he barked out.

Wanting to dissolve the growing unease quickly, N was walking before someone could blink, and was aptly followed by Steven who had caught on as well. Although confident, anyone could see the slight worry that covered Stone's face. That only left Archie, who was somewhat hesitant to continue. He hunched down, gripping his golden anchor closer to his body.

It was a good thing he did so.

Barely a moment later, a sharp screech rattled all four boys like a bolt of lightning, and a midnight black figure pounced from the dense foliage. Had Archie been a second late, the jagged maw of the Grimm would have severed his had clean from his body. He bashed the flying monstrosity with the anchor, slamming it against a nearby tree.

Steven, Colress, and N all jumped into action the second they heard the scream, and hastily ripped their weapons out. The splintering crack of the now broken muted by the sound of mechanics turning. N's daggers were fully extended, _Metagross_ sprang from Steven's back, and Colress pulled a gun of some sort from within his coat.

Tearing the anchor's broad hook out from the Grimm's crumpled form, Archie leaped back, and joined the small formation. The two hooks folded back, and cobalt blue lights lit up their sides. At their corners, two holes opened, with a third taking shape at the middle of the anchor. The handle by which Archie was holding it bent slightly, causing the object to resemble a large gun.

"See! This is what happens when no one listens to me!" The pirate's outburst was interrupted by another pounce from the recovering shadow. It leaped on top of the boy before being thrown off by the piece of metal that held it at bay.

Colress trained his gun's silver scope on the creature. The gun itself seemed quite unwieldly, its already large and long frame being covered with interlocking gears, and although its long figure seemed more akin to a sniper rifle, the boy quickly peppered the beast with three shots. Gears whirred to life as the gun fired, ticking as each bullet flew. He rolled to the left, and fired another shot before coiling onto the ground. Colress broke out into a sprint beside the turning beast, and began to spin his silver weapon around his hand.

After Colress ducked away, the Grimm managed to stand back up. Using the splintered tree stump for support, it stood up on its hind legs. Much to the groups horror, it was an Alpha. An Alpha Beowolf was now hunched over, and staring at a ragtag bunch of students.

Steven took a nervous step back, the mechanical arms behind him slightly closing in around him. He jumped back slightly as two more figures leaped from the tree line. Two more Beowolfs rallied behind their Alpha, howling and barking in a mad frenzy. Finally recovered, the Alpha reared back, and let out a screech that seemed to shake the ground.

Archie held his anchor with both hands, with teeth grit. "So…we gonna take this son of a b*tch?" he cautiously asked N, who was currently standing between the other two. The green haired boy's posture was hunched over, and the flaring energy from his daggers created a ghastly shadow, both of Grimm, and the boy himself.

N took a deep breath, and surveyed the area around him. After spotting a glance at the drooling growling beowolfs that prowled, he made eye contact with Colress, who stood at their flank. He turned to the side, spotting the nervous yet confident shake of Steven beside him. His breaths were slightly shallow, but his eyes held a glare sharper than his own daggers.

"S-So what are we going to do?" Steven stuttered out without peeling his eyes from the threat in front of him. His arms flexed, earning an eerie ring from the metallic arms. "I mean, I'm fine with staying, but we have to make our decision fast!" He took another step back as the Grimm took another step forward.

"On my mark," the green haired boy muttered out, barely loud enough for the others to hear. It wouldn't do good to startle the already bloodthirsty monsters. However the two seemed to hear, and N could only hope that Colress could perceived what they were about to do. Thankfully, he rose his rifle up, and peered down his scope, a gear or to clicking back as he did so.

"Go!" N yelled as he leapt forward, brandishing his blades high into the sky as he descended upon the Alpha.

"Alright! Let's do this!" Archie quickly followed suit, ducking under a wave of fire from N's dagger to pursue one beowolf. He spun around, and slammed his anchor into the white mask.

Steven, on the other hand, merely shrugged as his teammates charged in. He took a moment to watch Colress run along the sidelines, planting quick shots as he jogged along. It wasn't until the final beowolf was soaring through the air at him. Only his quick reflexes allowed him to catch the Grimm in mid air. With it within two of his four arms, he slammed it on the ground in front of him. Using the other two to jump forward, he used the momentum to throw the wolf against a nearby rock. The stone shattered, and the Grimm was barely able to recover.

N could only spare the briefest of glances at the flying black ball of fur. He was too busy deflecting the Alpha's unrelenting swipes at his head. For increased speed, his daggers were back in their more compact form, but it did little to aid in the desperate defense. The boy took a sharp breath as he saw a claw slamming down from above. Had he back flipped out of the way a moment later, he surely would've been crushed.

As powerful as the attack had been, it left an opening that N sought to capitalize on. He leaped onto the Alpha's snout, and leapt even higher after it reared its head back. In the air, he flicked his dagger open, and spun in such a way that waved of fire and lightning rained down. On his descent, he slid down the creatures back, doing his best to carve as many gashes on the way down.

Much to his dismay, the repeated attacks only seemed to anger it. As soon as N reset his stance, the Grimm let out an ear splitting howl. It shook trees, unearthed stones, and even shattered Colress's glasses, causing him to stumble. That is, if the sheer sound itself hadn't caused him to fall. It certainly had an impact on the others if them gripping their ears was anything to go by.

The only reason Colress only stumbled as opposed to falling outright was that he had his weapon to support him. With its barrel pointed down, he stood up from it like a cane. He grunted in pain, and clutched his head with his free hand.

A momnt later, the boy did his best to fix his position, a task made slightly more difficult due to his lack of decent vision. Blinking rapidly, the only information that he could gather was that two of the beowolfs had run off, and proceeded to claw up the side of a nearby cliff. He saw a larger black blob, which he assumed to be the Alpha, dash after them. He couldn't really see much passed that, but he knew the Grimm must be getting close to the cliff's peak.

He squinted doing his best to see what exactly was going on up the rock face. He noted that Archie and Steven were just now recovering, but N's messy pile of green hair was still plastered across the dirt, probably due to how close he was to the Alpha.

Archie was the first to speak up. "Agh…the hell happened?" He clutched his brain and stumbled as he tripped over his anchor. "Wah!" he screamed out, further harming ears that Colress just realized were ringing. The clamour of metal that accompanied Steven's arms didn't help either.

The boy in questioned seemed to be relying heavily on his weapon for support. "Gah, is everyone alright?"

"No…" Colress responded. He now stood straight up, and fixed his gaze upward, to the top of the cliff. What he first interpreted as a brown, slightly maroonish blur, he then saw as a wave of black. Beowolves were dashing down, lead by the Alpha that he had hoped retreated. The once incessant ringing got drowned out by the pounding of dozens of claws.

"We have to go," Colress bluntly stated, white coat fluttering from the swift turn of its wearer. However, the movement only sent a sharp pain to bounce throughout the boy's mind; the hazy vision also not doing his brain's processing any favors. His hand shot to his skull, and gripped it as he dropped to one knee.

Steven snapped out of the mild trance his wooziness put him in when he saw the falling boy. "Colress!" he yelled out, and futilely reached out. Sadly, Colress felt himself losing consciousness, only giving out a muted grunt as his limp body fell beside N's.

Archie and Steven merely stared, dumbstruck at the two fallen students. Then, they stared upwards as the incoming horde of Grimm.

"F*ck…"

* * *

 **Alright, hello. I had a perfectly good author's note already lined up and ready to go, but it was deleted along with a couple hundred words of the chapter when my computer decided it wanted to cease functioning for no reason. I had a whole list of excuses, telling you all why it took so long to upload another chapter, and how sorry I was that I left you all hanging.**

 **The short version: school sucks, work sucks, computers suck, Word sucks, and moving sucks. Nah, I'm just kidding. Most of those things just took up a lot of my time though. However, now that everything is back in order, none of you will have to worry about me disappearing from the face of the earth for another few months. While I can't promise a solid upload schedule, I'll make sure I'm able to get more work done than a chapter every quarter of a year.**

 **Before I conclude, I just want to state that I would still love any and all criticism of this story. I'm still pretty much a novice writer, and I'd love to hear what I could do to improve. And hey, even if I'm not very good at all, I'd still love some feedback.**

 **Anyway, I hope you all have enjoyed, and that you all have a great day!**


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